Rito Hondo Reservoir Fishing Guide, Hinsdale County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Rito Hondo Reservoir in Hinsdale County, Colorado. The country here is lake country bush. Roughly 40 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 0.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Ouray sits 28 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Pueblo, 142 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Rito Hondo Reservoir

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Hinsdale County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Rito Hondo Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 52°F and January at 12°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Rito Hondo Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Pointer Lake, 1.3 miles out. Confirm before you fish Rito Hondo Reservoir.